Organic farm school - learn practical skills

Learn how to grow your own food, rear animals and cook. The courses cater to all skill levels and provide the opportunity to learn from organic farmers with personal experience - from a one-day basic introduction to more professional expertise - in bee-keeping, chicken keeping, vegetable growing, willow weaving, hedge laying and many others.

Whether you want to skill-up and make that step towards making your life more sustainable, learn how to live closer to the land, or get inspired and try something out as a possible career option, this is a great opportunity to try something new as well as have a fun day out on an organic farm.

Sign up to our e-news and keep up to date with our latest campaigns, activities and events.

You can be part of an amazing movement which is taking action to change the way people think about food and farming.

Course details

Baking for a living

Starts: 16 October 2013 10:00
Ends: 19 October 2013 16:00

Macbiehill Farmhouse, Lamancha, near Edinburgh

This course is for:

people planning to bake bread for sale and considering the best way to establish a viable operation

members of existing (or emerging) social enterprises who are looking at breadmaking as a possible addition to, or focus of, their community work

those who are already baking for their community who want to make better bread and who need advice on scaling up recipes, bakery equipment and workflow, product costings and regulatory standards (such as organic certification, food hygiene, health and safety etc)

anyone interested in community-supported baking who would like four days of intensive breadmaking to broaden their knowledge and product range, together with discussions on the ethos and practicalities of this exciting new way or working.

You will learn:

the essentials of baking real bread for sale, i.e. the ‘how’ of making it happen and the ‘why’ of meaningful work, social inclusion, community enrichment - in short, health

basic recipes that are straightforward to produce and can be adapted into many variations that are guaranteed to appeal

about the emerging network of community-supported bakeries, with actual case studies to demonstrate what works

a great deal about the practicalities, including funding options, ownership structure (cooperative, community interest company etc), machinery (especially stone ovens), production planning, recruitment, costings and more

innovative marketing and distribution strategies to ensure that your bread reaches as wide a public as possible.

You will make and take home:

more than a baker’s dozen breads (some may get ‘tested’ before you get home)

You will also get:

a signed copy of Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley

a copy of Knead to Know, the Real Bread Campaign’s indispensable handbook for commercial and community bakers

a workbook of information, exercises and resources to help plan your community-supported bakery

an organic fairtrade cotton apron

coffee, lunch and tea each day (all organic, with much of the food grown on the Macbiehill smallholding)

a three-course dinner on the first evening (partners or friends can come too, for an extra charge)

‘Provided a real insight into both the technical skills and the science underpinning the course content. Andrew also personally shares his own evident love and deep understanding of all aspects of breadmaking and the meaning of bread which is both generous and inspiring.’

‘This really helped me to realise – or actually just crystallise what I already knew – that this is what I want to do: I can’t imagine not working in a bakery somehow.’

‘Best course I’ve ever done. Had a wonderful and memorable time.’

‘Thank you, Andrew, Veronica, Eleanor and other assistants for a truly informative, fun, interesting and skill-building week. You are excellent with a group which is a real skill. And as I mentioned to you yesterday, it has been a therapeutic experience for which I am very grateful.’

20% discount on any course booked and paid for in full before 30th September 2013. Please telephone or email Andrew@breadmatters.com to book and quote your Soil Association Membership Number to get your discount.